Rolling contact layer-by-layer assembly

Abstract

A rolling contact layer-by-layer assembly device comprises at least one roller, a cylinder substrate and a motor to rotate the cylinder substrate. The assembly device optionally includes at least one rinsing nozzle and air applicator. The rollers each provide a polyelectrolyte solution to the surface of the cylinder substrate, the polyelectrolyte solutions having an affinity for each other. Excess polyelectrolyte solution can be washed using the rinsing nozzle followed by a drying step prior to the application of the second polyelectrolyte solution. A plurality of bilayers is produced by the continuous application of polyelectrolyte solutions to form an LBL article such as a nano-composite article or film. The film is then removed from the surface of the cylinder substrate.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 200,786, filed on Dec. 3, 2008. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD[0002]The present disclosure relates to a rolling contact layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly device and methods for automated manufacture of nanocomposite films and other LBL structures.INTRODUCTION[0003]This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.[0004]Layer-by-layer assembly (LBL) is a method of thin film deposition which is often used for oppositely charged polymers or polymers otherwise having affinity and has recently been applied to the preparation of thin films of nanoparticles. Its simplicity and universality, complemented by the high quality films produced thereby, make the layer-by-layer process an attractive alternative to other thin film deposition techniques. LBL can be ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]It is yet another object of the present technology to provide a method for the assembly of free-standing thin film materials which permi

Problems solved by technology

Tallahassee, Fla.) which can be slow and results in a small film size.

Overall, such manual and semi-automated methods do not reliably produce films having equally distributed solutions and therefore have irregularities in film depth and structure.

These methods can also suffer from errors in the handling of liquid containers and glassware that can result in failed manufacturing runs and broken glassware.

Moreover, using such semi-automated methods results in film size restrictions, usually limited to the size of common laboratory microscope glass slides.

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